Timing device



Feb. 19, 1963 Filed Oct- 17, 1961 U. FINZI TIMING DEVICE.

2 s eets-sham 1 U. FINZI TIMING DEVICE Feb. 19, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 17, 1961 FIG .4

r V 3,s7s,037 Patented Feb. 1 1963 3,tl78,tl37 TiiMlNG DEVECE Umberto Finzi, 6 Via Gramsci, Parabiago, Miian, ltaly Filed (lot. 17, 1961, Ser. No. 145,719 Claims priority, application Italy Nov. 18, 196i 2 (Jiaims. Cl. 235-132) This invention relates to a timing device, by which I mean a device adapted to define any desired time interval, that is, a device which, on receipt of a triggering signal is capable of emitting, after a period of time of a selected value, an end signal, the said triggering and end signals defining the desired time interval.

Operation and approximation obtained in determining time intervals by the device according to this invention are independent both of the duration of the time interval between the triggering and final signals and of the time of origin of said interval.

The nature of the signal emitted by the device can be of various species. More particularly, the signal may consist of an electric impulse suitable for energizing a machine-stopping device, for example, or, generally, any device operating at predetermined time intervals.

The timing device according to this invention is based on the discovery that any time interval T can be expressed by the relation:

T=nDT wherein DT is variable between and 1 and n is a whole number representing a power of ten.

The same time interval T can moveover be expressed by a relation of the type:

wherein D1 is constant, 11, in being any whole numbers.

The first relation can even be written as follows:

while in second relation by assuming DT=1 the result is:

Considering the above, the invention provides a timing device comprising a decadal revolution counter, means controlling the said counter to cause it to totalize a series of constant consecutive elementary time intervals, and an electronic circuit controlled by the said counter to deliver an end signal each time the counter has totalized a number of elementary times the sum of which represents the required time interval.

According to a first embodiment of this device corresponding to the mathematical relation (1) written above, the counting speed of the counter is adjustable, the said counter totalizing the required time interval by summing a series of equal elementary time intervals the value of which is obtained by dividing the required time interval by a power of 10.

According to a further embodiment, corresponding to the mathematical relation (2) written above, the counting speed of the decadal counter is constant, the said counter totalizing the required time interval by summing a series of elementary time intervals of a predetermined constant unit value and an end fraction (if any) of the elementary time interval.

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings given by way of a non limiting example, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows diagrammatically a timing device according to a first embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 2 shows diagrammatically a timing device according to a further embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a setting ring employed in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an end view of a numeral drum employed in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, and

FIG. 5 schematically shows a modification of FIG. 2.

In the embodiment shown in FIGURES 1 and 4 a set of numeral drums 1 of a decadal revolution counter of known type is provided, the drums being operatively coupled together through snap-transfer gears of conventional design, generically denoted by 1b.

The input drum is driven from a synchronous motor 2 and the further drums are step-wise rotated by the above mentioned transfer gears so that a subsequent drum snaps through one step (digit) each time the preceding drum goes from digit nine to zero, as is conventional in the art. The synchronous motor 2 is energized with an alternating current delivered by an adjustable frequency oscil later 3 energized in turn from an electrical network 4. The oscillator 3 is of a type known per se and is provided with a setting knob 3a by means of which the frequency of the current energizing the motor 2 can be adjusted within a desired range, so that the speed of the motor can be varied, even in a continuous manner, from a minimum to a maximum value dependently upon the frequency of the current delivered by the oscillator 3.

Conveniently a branch of the network 4 energizing the oscillator 3 has interposed therein a switch 5 which is switched to its opening and closing position by a changeover relay 6 including a pair of energizing windings 6a, 6b fed in parallel from the network 4 through a lead 7.

The relay 6 is controlled in turn by an electric circuit including an electromagnet 8 operating a switch 9 adapted to switch-in the lead 7 for energizing the winding 6a of the relay 6 which opens the switch 5.

The winding is fed from the lead 7 through a switch 17, such as or" the push-button type, the closure of which eiiects energization of the winding 6!) and closure of the switch 5 which switches-in the oscillator into the network 4 to start the time interval T to be signaled.

The electromagnet 8 is energized by an electric circuit controlled by the decadal counter including a signal emitter iii, a selector switch 11 and a set of contacts 12, 13, l4, 15 which can be selected by means of the switch 11 and are connected in parallel to each other to the network 4 through a lead to. The contacts 12 15 are associated with respective numeral drums 1 on the decadal counter and are operated (closed) by the action of cams 1a carried by the said numeral drums each time the respective drum has just performed its transfer operation on the adjacent subsequent drum. FIG. 4 shows the moment in which a drum 1 is snapping through zero-line A in its transfer action and in which the cam 1a momentarily closes the contact 12.

Operation of the device for obtaining a signal of any kind on the signal-emitter 10 after a time interval T starting from any desired moment is effected by first selecting the rotational speed of the motor 2 by means of the frequency control 3a of the oscillator 3.

Upon selection of the desired rotational speed of the motor 2 the switch 11 is adjusted to a selected contact 12 15, the closure of which will operate the signalemitter after the prescribed time interval T has elapsed starting from an initial moment T which is determined by closure of the contact 17 which switches-in the oscillator 3 into the network 4.

The numeral drums and associated contacts 12 to 15 can be provided in any desired number, numbered 1 to n, selection of any of them by displacement of the brush on the switch 11 determining the value of n in the relation:

T=10 DT Considering the above it will be clear that after starting the motor 2 by acing upon the contact 17, when a time interval T has elapsed the preselected contact 12 15 is momentarily closed by the cam on its respective numeral drum (in the example shown contact 15), whereby an impulse is released which triggers the signal-emitter 1t and energizes the relay 8 which closes the contact 9 energizing the winding Go on the relay 6, whereby the contact is opened cutting off current supply to the oscillater 3 thereby stopping the motor 2.

Assuming the oscillator 3 has been set to 60 rpm. speed of unit drum 1, time intervals of 1 sec., 10 sec., 100 sec. and 1000 sec. can be picked-up from contacts 12, 13, 14, 15, respectively. At 120 rpm. speed intervals of 0.5, 5, '50 and 500 seconds will be obtained, and so on.

Thus, after a time interval T has elapsed the device is capable of emitting a signal which can be utilized in any desired manner, and moreover stops at a suitable position (0 position) for a subsequent signaling cycle which is triggered as soon as any external signal effects energization of the winding 6b to thereby close the contact 5. Energization of the winding 61) can be effected either as in the example shown by means of a key 17 which is operableby hand, or electrically from any device known Zper 'se capable of being automatically released at the start of any time interval T.

To prevent the device from stopping, thereby to obtain isochronous signals at time intervals T, it will be suflicient to cut-off the electro magnet 8 between the signal-emitter 10 and oscillator 3, leaving the contact 9 constantly closed.

The above description mentions the use of 'a synchronous motorconnected with a variable frequency generator for operating the decadal counter. Of course this arrangement of the components should not be understood as a limitation of the scope of this invention, for any even inon-electric'motor of which the rotational speed can be varied at will can be substituted for the synchronous motor 2. Once the selection of speed has been effected, the speed will be kept constantduring the full time interval T during which the device operates. A speedreducing or multiplying gearing can be interposed between the motor and counter, if necessary.

It will moreover be obvious that the device can be equipped instead of with a motor with any generator of isochronous impulses spaced by a time internal DT, which can be collected and totalized by the counter.

.In the embodiment shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, in which components similar to or corresponding with the previously described ones are provided with the same reference numerals, the timing device is arranged to totalize the required time interval T by summing a series of constant unitary elementary time intervals and any end fractions of the said elementary time intervals.

To this end the device still comprises a decadal counter including a plurality of numeral drums 1 with snap-transfer mechanisms 1b therebetween' operated by a constantspeed motor, more particularly a synchronous motor 2 fed with a constant-frequency alternating current. The numeral drums 1 are each provided with a contact brush 1a arranged at a circumferential location such as to momentarily close an electric contact as the respective drum-snaps from nine" to zero in its transfer operation.

Setting rings 18 are arranged concentrically with the respective drums 1 around the latter and are held in a coaxial position by suitable guide means, not shown on the drawing for the sake of clearness, which admit of independent angular displacement of the rings about their common axis, in order to vary their angular setting with respect of the zeroizing line of the numeral drums. The setting rings 18 are made of a dielectric material and are provided at opposite front faces with slip-rings 19 for brushes 20 which connect in series the slip-rings w. The first and last brushes are connected with a lead 21 on the supply network and through the signal-emitter 10 to a change-over relay 22, respectively, including a pair of energizing windings 22a, 22b adapted to open and close, respectively, a contact 23 controlling energization of the motor 2.

The setting-rings 18 are each provided with a decadal numbering engraved thereon (FIG. 3) and each of the slip-rings 19 is provided in a location between nine and zero with a contact leaf 24 projecting on the inner cylindrical surface of the setting ring. The pairs of contacts 24 are momentarily short-circuited by the contact-brushes 1a whereby the slip-rings 19 arranged on opposite faces of each of the setting rings 18 are momentarily electrically connected with each other each time the contact-brush 1a snaps over the contact leaves 24.

When all the contact-brushes 1a are simultaneously in front of the contact leaves 24 on their respective setting rings 18, all the slip-rings 19 carried by the rings 18 are short-circuited. Under these conditions the signal-emitter 10 is triggered and delivers an end signal, the relay winding 22a being energized to open the contact 23 in order to cut-off supply of current to the motor 2.

It will be apparent from the above that angular adjustment of the setting rings 18 about the rotational axis of the numeral drums 1 serves for composing by the numbering engraved on the setting rings and 'zeroizin'g line on the counter a number corresponding to the elementary time intervals which should be totalized.

The first ring 13 corresponding to the'speediest"(unit) drum has engraved thereon a centesimal instead of decadal scale and is angularly set on composing the number'so that the conventional stationary aligning pointer on the counter (zeroizing line for the numeral drums) registers with the value of the last significant figure in the number expressing the required time interval, or fraction of unit, when the figure is fractional. Upon composing as above the number of units of the required time interval T, the motor 2 is started by closing the contact 23 by energizing the winding 2211 on the relay 22; energization can be effected by means of a switch in the form of a manually operable key 25.

7 After the time interval T has elapsed, that is, when the set of numeral drums 1 have composed on the zeroizing line the same number selected by adjustment of the rings 18, all the slip-rings result momentarily electrically series-connected whereby the signal-emitter 10 is triggered and relay winding 22a is energized cutting oif the motor 2.

In order to determine another time interval T the numeral drums should be zeroized, which can be effected automatically by means of known devices which are not shown on the drawing. In this case also, while the motor '2 is allowed to further run and the numeral drums are automatically zeroized after each time interval T has elapsed, the device is capable of delivering a plurality of isochronous signals.

It will be understood that adoption of the synchronous motor 2 in order to drive the counter is not to be understood as a limitation of the scope of this invention, for the said motor can be replaced at will be any electric or mechanical motor provided the said motor rotates at constant speed.

Instead of equipping the device with the said motor, a generator of isochronous impulses can be provided, the said impulses being collected and totalized by the counter.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, which is closely related with that shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, similar references are used to indicate similar components. In the figure, a warning-signal emitter 10a is additionally provided, series-connected between the line 21 and the terminal brush Zita associated with the last setting ring in the counter. The intermediate brushes 20 have each associated therewith a switch 30 for electrically connecting the brush to the second line 21a of the supply mains.

In operation, assuming the counter setting rings have been set for a total time interval of, say, 9876 elementary time intervals and the switches 30 are all open, the signal emitter will be triggered when the numeral drums reach the positions in which digits 9, 8, 7 and 6, respectively, are displayed, forming together the number 9876 set by means of the setting rings. The warning-signal emitter 10a will be energized at the same time, together with the emitter 10, on account of that the two emitters are in series-connection between the lines 21 and 21a.

If, however, the switch 30 associated with tens" drum, for example, is preliminarily closed, the circuit including the said switch and Warning-signal emitter will result closed already when a total of 9870 elementary time intervals has been totalized, that is, in advance by six units with respect of emitter 10. Alternatively, by preliminarily closing the switch 30 associated with hundreds drum, the warning-signal emitter 10a will be triggered in the position 9800 of the counter, hence 76 time units before the main signal emitter 10 is triggered.

While the invention has been described in its simplest embodiments, it is to be understood that the various components can be selected or designed by a skilled person correspondingly to the specific application of the device. As to the decadal counters, those having transfer gearing of Geneva type are particularly suitable on account of their desired stepping operation. Zeroizing and setting operations can be carried out on the counter, oscillator 3 and setting rings 18 either manually or through remotecontrol means of any suitable character. Electric motors 2 having a low-inertia rotor are particularly suitable for practicing the invention; in any case, an automatically releasable brake is recommended for the motor capable of instantaneously stopping the latter when the signal emitter 10 is triggered by the counter. An electro-magnetically actuated brake, for example, can be resorted to, represented in FIG. 5 by its energizing winding 31 bridging the emitter 10 and relay winding 22a. In this manner, the motor is positively momentarily braked and stopped at the same time as the emitter 10 is triggered by the decadal counter.

Referring particularly to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, in which a variable-speed motor is employed for driving the counter at a selected speed, the variable oscillator 3 can be advantageously supplemented by a change-speed gearing interposed between the motor and counter. In such a case, the desired time units to be totalized by the counter will result from a selected combination of a gear" thrown-in in the change-speed gearing and of the output frequency of the oscillator. In an alternative embodiment, the oscillator can be wholly replaced by a suitable variable transmission and electro-magnetically controlled clutch interposed between the motor and counter, the energizing winding for the clutch being controlled by the switch 5 in FIG. 1.

What I claim is:

1. Timing device comprising a decadal revolution counter including a plurality of numeral drums with transfer gears therebetween, a contact-closing member on each drum, motor means capable of driving the input drum of the counter at a predetermined counting speed thereby to cause the counter to totalize a series of consecutive elementary time intervals corresponding to one turn of the input drum and of decimal fractions of said elementary time intervals corresponding to one counting step of the input drum, a similar plurality of setting rings concentrical with the respective drums, a pair of mutually insulated slip-rings on each setting ring arranged for being electrically momentarily connected therebetween by the contact-closing member on the respective drum during a counting step of the latter, brushes associated with the sliprings series-connecting the pairs of the latter, and an electric signaling circuit including the pairs of slip-rings in the series-connection whereby the circuit is triggered to emit a signal when all contact-closing members are simultaneously effective on the respective pairs of slip-rings.

2. Timing device as defined in claim 1, including a warning-signal emitter selectively electrically connectable with the brushes which interconnect the slip-rings on subsequent setting rings thereby to be energized in the eifective condition of the contact-closing members on the drums which follow the input drum.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,774,762 Roesen Sept. 2, 1930 2,219,636 Schwartz Oct. 29, 1940 2,493,627 Grosdofi Jan. 3, 1950 

1. TIMING DEVICE COMPRISING A DECADAL REVOLUTION COUNTER INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF NUMERAL DRUMS WITH TRANSFER GEARS THEREBETWEEN, A CONTACT-CLOSING MEMBER ON EACH DRUM, MOTOR MEANS CAPABLE OF DRIVING THE INPUT DRUM OF THE COUNTER AT A PREDETERMINED COUNTING SPEED THEREBY TO CAUSE THE COUNTER TO TOTALIZE A SERIES OF CONSECUTIVE ELEMENTARY TIME INTERVALS CORRESPONDING TO ONE TURN OF THE INPUT DRUM AND OF DECIMAL FRACTIONS OF SAID ELEMENTARY TIME INTERVALS CORRESPONDING TO ONE COUNTING STEP OF THE INPUT DRUM, A SIMILAR PLURALITY OF SETTING RINGS CONCENTRICAL WITH THE RESPECTIVE DRUMS, A PAIR OF MUTUALLY INSULATED SLIP-RINGS ON EACH SETTING RING ARRANGED FOR BEING ELECTRICALLY MOMENTARILY CONNECTED THEREBETWEEN BY THE CONTACT-CLOSING MEMBER ON THE RESPECTIVE DRUM DURING A COUNTING STEP OF THE LATTER, BRUSHES ASSOCIATED WITH THE SLIPRINGS SERIES-CONNECTING THE PAIRS OF THE LATTER, AND AN ELECTRIC SIGNALING CIRCUIT INCLUDING THE PAIRS OF SLIP-RINGS IN THE SERIES-CONNECTION WHEREBY THE CIRCUIT IS TRIGGERED TO EMIT A SIGNAL WHEN ALL CONTACT-CLOSING MEMBERS ARE SIMULTANEOUSLY EFFECTIVE ON THE RESPECTIVE PAIRS OF SLIP-RINGS. 